Perfect Match
by Little-Inkstone
Summary: Modern AU Belle gets roped into taking part in a dating game show.
1. Perfect Match

**AN:** This is an idea that, literally, wouldn't let me write anything else until I was done. Now that it's complete I can get back to the things I _should_ be working on. Written for this week's Rumbelle Challenge.

As Isabelle French stood in front of the large studio audience, a camera pointed straight at her while she clutched a microphone so tightly she was afraid it would break. She was seriously beginning to rethink the life choices that had led her to this moment.

When Ruby had pushed her into signing up for the local TV stations reboot of The Dating Game, as a sign of solidarity and support for her friend, she hadn't given it a second thought. Now she was wishing she had never agreed. But how was she supposed to know that the producers would think she was a perfect bachelorette?

Never mind that she had crippling stage fright and had no interest in finding her perfect match through a TV show. When Ruby had found out she'd been selected, she had been over the moon.

"You have to do it Belle, _please_, for me?"

She was beginning to suspect that Ruby hadn't even signed up and this was some kind of ridiculous ploy to find her a boyfriend. But she had always believed that doing the brave thing would lead to bravery, and she really did need to get over her fear of speaking in front of large crowds, so she had agreed.

With harsh studio lights shining down on her, Belle had decided that bravery could go suck an egg, all she wanted to do was curl up with a good book and pretend none of this had ever happened. But it was too late, the mystery bachelors had already been introduced to the audience and now it was her turn to say something about herself before the questioning could begin.

All she had to do was last twenty minutes, that was it, just twenty minutes and then she'd be home free. After filming was over she could decline the holiday trip. And apologize to the poor guy she would be rejecting after having to randomly choose him based on a handful of meaningless questions.

"So tell us a little something about yourself, Isabelle." The host prompted.

"I−um−I'm originally from Australia, but I guess you can tell that." Belle mumbled the last part. "And honestly I have a little bit of stage fright." She admitted, feeling her cheeks heat.

"That's okay, even I get a little nervous in front of a crowd, and isn't this one heck of a crowd?" He asked, causing the audience to cheer loudly. "Now, you know how the game works, behind that screen is three mystery bachelors ready and waiting for you to ask them questions, when times up you'll have to pick one of them. Well that's the rules, let's begin!"

Belle nodded shyly and looked down at the stack of cards she'd been given. "Bachelor number one, if you were an animal, what kind would you be?"

"I'd be a bird of paradise, 'cause baby, all you'd find with me is bliss." Came the cheeky reply.

"Okay…" Belle muttered under her breath. "Bachelor number two, same question."

"What kind of answer is _that_?" She heard someone with a mild brogue grumble, suppressing a grin she waited for Two's response. "I'd be a−I don't know−a crocodile." Two said flippantly, his Scottish accent causing her smirk to bloom into a proper smile.

"And bachelor number three?"

"I'd be a stallion because I'm a grade A stud." Fighting the urge to roll her eyes Belle moved on to a different question.

The next several that followed were just as mindless, both One and Three's answers laced with poorly concealed innuendos. But number two was snarky and clever when he responded. Making her laugh and begin to relax, forgetting the cameras and the audience all together. Belle almost thought he was just as reluctant to be there as she was.

Time was almost up, and strangely she wished she had just a little longer. Or at least better questions, something with a little substance to them.

"Bachelor number two," She began, glancing down at the card she frowned, she didn't care how her snarky Scottish suitor thought he looked in a swimsuit. Honestly he seemed more like a full suit and tie kind of guy. "Do you enjoy reading?"

"Yes, I don't get to do it as often as I'd like to, but once and awhile I'll get a fire going and enjoy some poetry or a proper novel." He replied, his voice lacking the glib quality all of his other answers had held.

"Is there a specific author you have a predilection for?" Belle asked, forgetting that she had to move on to the other bachelors.

"Not really, I'd have to say I prefer the classics, but every now and again I appreciate something contemporary." He said sounding far more interested in her questions now that she had gone off script.

They went back and forth for the last few minutes, the other bachelors practically forgotten, before the host cut her off midsentence.

"Well that's all the questions we have time for today!" He interrupted loudly. "Now, Belle, it's time for you to choose, will it be bachelor number one? Bachelor number two? Or bachelor number three?"

Less than a half an hour ago she would have just randomly picked one of them, having little to no interest to get to know any of them better. Now she knew exactly who she'd pick, and she wouldn't be skipping out on the free vacation either.

"Number two, I pick bachelor number two." She said brightly.

"An interesting choice." The host muttered under his breath. "Well then, let's meet the boys you didn't pick! Come on out, bachelor number one!"

Next thing she knew she was being embraced in quick secession by two hulking brutes each a foot or two taller than her. When they didn't have something to prove, or lame insinuations to spout they seemed nice enough, but she wanted to get on with it and meet the man she'd chosen.

"And finally, bachelor number two, the one you've selected! Aurum Gold!"

As the crowd cheered a man only a few inches taller than her with a cane walked from behind the divider that had been blocking her view. Despite the confidence he had spoken with earlier he appeared hesitant and cautious. She smiled shyly, and he responded in kind his warm eyes beginning to sparkle.

"Gold, Aurum Gold, but please, call me Rum." He said, proffering his hand politely.

"Isabelle French, but everyone calls me Belle." She replied taking his hand and shaking it firmly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Belle." Rum whispered softly.


	2. Love's In the Air

**Anonymous prompted:** A 'Perfect Match' prompt: Aurum Gold asks Belle why she picked him.

"Why did you pick me?" He mumbled softly, as the plane began its ascent.

Belle looked at him for a moment, confused, before she smiled. "I liked your answers the best and I wanted to get to know you better."

She hadn't seen much of Aurum Gold in the days that had followed her appearance on the Dating Game. Both of them had been busy getting ready for the 'mystery' vacation the studio was paying for.

The entire thing was a sham, almost the whole holiday had been scripted and prearranged, all the way down to what she was supposed to say once they filmed the after date interview. She had the script for it tucked away in her bag so she could read it over.

Everything was set up to try and draw the audience into believing that she and the man sitting beside her would make a deep personal connection on this little trip and fall madly in love.

Leaning back in her seat, as cool air blew down from the vents, she swallowed repeatedly so her ears wouldn't pop painfully.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Gold clutching the armrest of his seat tightly, the skin of his knuckles strained and white. Before she could think better of it, she rested her hand atop his reassuringly with a soft smile.

"Hey, are you okay?" Belle asked.

"Fine, dearie, perfectly alright." Gold replied tersely, obviously lying.

She made a soft noise of disbelief, before giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "The first time I flew, I was terrified." Belle supplied, hoping to distract him. "My Mama and Papa were trying to decide if they wanted to move to America or not. So we came to visit some relatives already living here."

"Yes, I remember you mentioning that when you introduced yourself. That you were originally from Australia I mean." He clarified. Nervously squeezing his eyes shut as the plane leveled off.

Belle hummed in agreement. "Kind of a silly thing to tell the crowd, I think my accent gives away my origins rather nicely."

He chuckled, beginning to relax slightly. "Personally I think it was rather smart of you not to divulge too much personal information on television."

"Honestly, I was just too nervous to think of anything, my mind went blank." She admitted, her cheeks beginning to heat again from the memory.

"If it's any consolation I couldn't tell." Gold assured her with a small smile.

She smiled back, and then realized her hand was still resting on his. Snatching it back as if she had been burned, she cleared her throat awkwardly.

"So, what about you?"

"Me, dearie?" He questioned.

"Travel much by air?" Belle asked, gesturing to their surroundings.

"I prefer not to." Gold confessed. "The first time I got in one of these flying-death-traps was when my son and I moved from Scotland."

"You have a son?" She smiled, turning in her seat to look at him better.

"Yes, Neal, he actually works for the show." He supplied.

"Is he the reason you were there?" She teased good-naturedly.

Gold grimaced slightly. "Yes."

"Oh." Belle replied, ducking her head in embarrassment. "How, uh, how did he talk you into it?"

"I was in the city visiting him, and when the originally bachelor number two came down with something, he asked me to fill in at the last minute." He explained. "I was just supposed to be padding."

"And I picked you." She concluded sheepishly. "I'm sorry; I've wrecked your vacation! You probably wanted to spend more time with your son, not a total stranger."

"It's alright, don't trouble yourself about it, dearie. There's no way you could have known." He pacified. "So, what about you, why were you there?"

"A friend asked me to sign-up along with her, and they picked me instead." She shrugged with a grimace of her own.

"Well, aren't we a pair of reluctant winners?" He quipped.

Belle chuckled softly as the two of them lapsed into a mildly awkward silence.

Rummaging through her carryon bag, Belle retrieved one of the books she had brought with her to read on the flight. Her companion opened his own briefcase and began shuffling papers around, flipping through some pages and jotting down notes. She tried to read, but it quickly became glaringly obvious to Belle that she had forgone her novel to covertly watch Gold as he worked.

"It wasn't just your answers." She blurted out suddenly.

"Beg your pardon?" He asked looking away from the document he had been going over.

"Your answers, they weren't the only reason I picked you." Belle clarified, with a sheepish smile.

"No? Why else?" Gold replied, straightening out his papers before returning them to his case and closing it.

"I−" She cleared her throat to buy herself some time, mentally kicking herself for saying anything. "It was the way you discussed books with me, usually it's like pulling teeth whenever I bring the subject up, but you didn't seem to mind talking about them." She admitted.

"Well that was the first genuinely interesting question they'd given you to ask. Like I said before, I don't get the chance to do much reading for pleasure." He gestured to his briefcase. "But I do enjoy an intelligent discussion of literature every once and awhile."

"Actually, that question wasn't scripted. I was just tired of asking the pointless ones they had given me." Belle confessed.

Gold smiled warmly; something that Belle was somewhat mortified to realize was making her blush, as she returned it with one of her own.

"I'm glad you deviated." He said simply while they continued to smile at each other.

"I am too."

She cleared her throat suddenly, breaking the odd moment. "So you said you were visiting your son, where are you from originally?" Belle finally asked; hoping to keep the conversation going so they wouldn't laps into another silence, awkward or otherwise.

"Just a little town in costal Maine, I'm sure you've never heard of it." He replied dismissively.

"Try me." She challenged good-naturedly. "I grew up in a small Maine town myself, you never know."

He smirked and shook his head. "Fine, fine you win. I live in Storybrooke."

"No way." Belle squeaked in surprise. "Storybrooke, really?"

"Yeah, why? Have you heard of it?" Gold questioned, confused.

"Heard of it? That's where I live! Not right now of course, I'm staying in Boston while I go to school, but that's where I'm from." She explained, cheerfully startled.

They happily chatted for the rest of the flight about the strange coincidence and how they had never managed to meet before; even though they were from the same small town. Along with any other subjects that came to mind.

Ranging from what she was studying at Boston U, library sciences, and what he did for a living, former lawyer now a simple pawnbroker. To what their favorite food was, they shared a laugh when they discovered that they both had a weakness for the hamburgers and iced tea at Granny's diner.

All the while book and briefcase lay long forgotten.


End file.
